Character and Appearance

Duncan is an inch shy of seven feet tall,[2][4] and has a thick mass of sun-streaked hair.[5][4] He is strong and quick,[2] and has been taught jousting and swordplay.[2]

Duncan has a humble personality, and frequently thinks of himself as thick-headed, recalling how Ser Arlan had often said "Dunk the lunk, thick as a castle wall" and referred to him as "slow as an aurochs".[2]

History

Early life

Duncan's earliest memories were of living as a street urchin in the Flea Bottom slums of King's Landing.[2] His closest friends went by the names of Ferret, Rafe, and Pudding. By his own admission, they were "little monsters" with Duncan, at the time still known as "Dunk", the worst of all.[4] Sometimes they would sell[5] or even dump[4] pieces of meat of dubious origin to the local pot shops that made the bowls of brown.

Duncan learned sword-fight from Ser Arlan,[2] though he still recalls his fighting experience from Flea Bottom as well.[2][5] Ever since the first time that Arlan had let Duncan hold a sword, Duncan had dreamt of becoming a Kingsguard knight.[4]

Tourney at Ashford Meadow

In 209 AC, a tourney was to be held at Ashford. Arlan died on the way to Ashford, and after Duncan had buried him, he decided to compete in the tourney at Ashford Meadow in Arlan's stead. On the way he stopped at an inn. Inside, Duncan meet a dunken man who claimed to have dreamed about Duncan, and who became distraught at the sight of him. Duncan also met a bald-headed boy, who begged him to be allowed to become Duncan's squire when Duncan left. Duncan refused, left, and shortly thereafter arrived at Ashford. Duncan made camp, and that evening discovered the bald boy from the inn at his camp, who claimed to be called "Egg" and said he came from King's Landing, causing Duncan to believe the boy is an orphan from Flea Bottom, just like Duncan had been. Because he does not have a squire, Duncan accepted Egg as his squire for the duration of the tourney.[2]

Once at the tourney grounds, Duncan is forced to sell Sweetfoot, one of his horses, and Ser Arlan's old armor, in order to be able to aquire armor of his own. He met a puppeteer named Tanselle, who agreed to paint his shield with his personal sigil.[2] The day after his arrival, Duncan went to register for the tourney. Knighthood was required for participation in the tourney, and Duncan told Lord Ashford's steward how Ser Arlan had knighted him before his death. Several of his thoughts and actions, as well as other facts, however, suggest that his tale is not completely true.[N 1] The steward suggests that Duncan find someone to vouch for him and return the next day. Unable to find anyone, Duncan returned to the castle the next day, where he accidentally interrupted Prince Baelor and Prince Maekar Targaryen, who were occupied with the missing Princes Daeron and Aegon, two of Maekar's sons. Explaining his problem to the princes, Baelor recalled jousting against Arlan years before, and vouched for Duncan, allowing his participation.[2]

When Tanselle is attacked by Prince Aerion Targaryen, Duncan rushes to her defense, attacking the Prince in the process. When Aerion's guards intervened, Egg protected Duncan from further harm by revealing his identity as Prince Aegon Targaryen. Duncan was arrested and brought to the castle, where Prince Baelor informed him how Prince Daeron had claimed to his father that the missing Aegon had been kidnapped by a robber knight, while Aerion was twisting the puppeteer story into treason. Due to the lies of both Aerion and Daeron, Maekar has become furious with Duncan, and Baelor is forced to allow Aerion a trial.[2] Aerion demanded a trial of seven. With help of Aegon, Duncan found six allies - Robyn Rhysling, Humfrey Hardyng, Lord Lyonel Baratheon, Humfrey Beesbury, the newly-knighted Raymun Fossoway, and ultimately Prince Baelor Targaryen - with whom he faced off against Aerion, Daeron, Maekar, three knights of the Kingsguard, and Ser Steffon Fossoway. To his surprise, Duncan discovered that the small folk supported him, as he had remembered his vows as a knight[2] ("protecting the weak and defending the innocent")[6][7][8] by protecting Tanselle. During the combat, Duncan eventually found himself facing Aerion one on one, and managed to best Aerion by using his strength and his fighting skills from Flea Bottom. Duncan forced Aerion to yield. As Daeron had already faked his defeat - as he had promised Duncan the day before - Duncan was declared cleared free of all charges.[2]

Three of the men who had given their aid to Duncan died either during or after the battle, including Prince Baelor, leaving Duncan feeling extremely guilty. Prince Maekar offered Duncan a place at Summerhall, so Aegon could squire for Duncan. While Duncan agreed to take Aegon as his squire, he insisted on remaining a hedge knight, convinced it would teach Aegon humility. Maekar agreed.[2]

On the road

Duncan and Aegon travelling - by Marc Simonetti

Duncan and Aegon travelled to Dorne, passing through the Prince's Pass, and eventually reaching Vaith, while Duncan accidentally insulted Lady Cassella Vaith, the first highborn woman he had ever met. During the crossing of the desert, Duncan's horse Chestnut died,[5] and he and Aegon had to ride double on Thunder.[5] While in 209 AC and 210 AC the Great Spring Sickness ran its course through Westeros, Duncan and Aegon were able to avoid encountering this plague as they were in Dorne, one of the two places where the plague had not come.[5]

Duncan and Aegon took a poleboat down the Greenblood to Planky Town, where they took passage on the galleas White Lady to Oldtown.[5][4] Aboard the ship Duncan had his first experience of combat at sea when he helped repel some raiders.[4] In Oldtown, Aegon's brother Aemon measured Duncan, and found he was an inch short of seven feet.[5]

At some point, Duncan and Aegon were gifted a mule, Maester, by one of Aegon's brothers,[5] presumably Aemon.[N 2]

Service at Standfast

Duncan and Aegon took service with Ser Eustace Osgrey, a poor and broken landed knight, at Standfast, located in the Reach. Also employed was Ser Bennis of the Brown Shield, an old acquaintance of Duncan from his time with Arlan. Duncan and Bennis discovered that peasants of Lady Rohanne Webber of Coldmoat had dammed the Chequy Water. Bennis provoked Rohanne by cutting one of her peasants, and when Ser Eustace refused to travel to Coldmoat, Duncan went to Coldmoat to try to reason with her. Though sexual tension charged their meeting, Rohanne refused Duncan and told him about Eustace's support of Daemon Blackfyre during the Blackfyre Rebellion. Shocked by the revelation, Duncan attempted to leave Eustace's service, but a fire in the nearby woods caused him to suspect that Rohanne had already started her campaign against Eustace. After Bennis had fled, leaving only Eustace's feeble peasant levies, Duncan knew that the battle was a lost cause. He disbanded Eustace's levies, but promised him to be by his side when he faced Rohanne. Meeting with Rohanne's forces, Duncan offered to settle the matter with a trial by combat. Rohanne's champion was her overbearing steward, Ser Lucas Longinch. Duncan's wrestling ability compensated for his lack of swordsmanship, and he managed to kill Lucas, though he received major wounds himself and almost drowned in the stream in which they had been fighting.[5]

After recuperating, Duncan discovered that Eustace and Rohanne had settled their differences and decided to marry. Duncan felt rejected, but was confronted by Rohanne shortly before he left. He took one kiss from Rohanne and cut off a length of her signature braid as a keepsake, after which he and Aegon took their leave.[5]

Wedding Tourney at Whitewalls

Duncan as a mystery knight, with his squire, Aegon - by Marc Simonetti

At Whitewalls, Aegon became suspicious about the intentions of the wedding, and informed Duncan that the majority of the nobles present had fought for House Blackfyre during the Blackfyre Rebellion. Duncan later had an encounter with John the Fiddler, who told him that Duncan had appeared to him in a dream, where Duncan had worn the all white armor of the Kingsguard. The Fiddler said his dreams always came true, stating that he had dreamed his brothers dead once, and though they hadn't believed him, they had died. The Fiddler also informed Duncan that he had dreamed about a dragon hatching from an egg at Whitewalls.[4]

Duncan entered the joust as the Gallows Knight, a mystery knight bearing the arms of House Trant. He was defeated in his first tilt by Ser Uthor Underleaf, who confessed that someone had attempted to bribe him to kill Duncan in the final tilt. Whilst searching for Aegon, Duncan ran into Glendon Ball, who had been far more successful than Duncan during the tourney, and invited him to come north after the tourney, which Glendon declined. Glendon told Duncan that Gormon Peake had offered him a place at Starpike, on the condition that Glendon would let the Fiddler win. Glendon had refused, angering Peake. Duncan next ran into the Fiddler, and began to realize John's true identity, as well as that the tourney had been rigged as to make the Fiddler victorious.[4]

Lord Peake accused Glendon Ball of stealing the dragon egg, and the boy was imprisoned. When Duncan attempted to intervene, Alyn Cockshaw pulled him back, telling Duncan to follow him, if he wanted to find Aegon. Alyn attempted to kill Duncan out of jealousy for the attention the Fiddler had shown Duncan. Though injured, Duncan threw Alyn down a well to drown, an action witnessed by Maynard Plumm. Plumm helped Duncan see to his injuries, and informed him of Aegon's location.[4]

Aegon had falsely told Lord Ambrose that he and Duncan were spies sent to investigate the tournament and that his father, Prince Maekar, was on his way with an army. Frightened, Lord Ambrose pleads for his innocence, but Tommard Heddle attempted to seize Aegon, and was slain by Duncan in the combat that ensued. Duncan ordered Aegon to ride for Maidenpool, and next confronted the Fiddler, calling him by his true name, Daemon. Duncan accused Lord Peake of bribing the contestants in Daemon's favor, and of falsely charging Glendon with the theft of the dragon egg. Furious about the accusations, Daemon challenged Glendon with a joust as a means of trial by combat.[4]

Glendon defeated Daemon easily, and mere moments later, a loyalist army led by Lord Brynden Rivers, the Hand of the King, arrived at Whitewalls. Daemon was arrested, and those who had supported him executed or punished, causing the Second Blackfyre Rebellion to be suppressed before it had even begun. Lord Brynden allowed Duncan and Aegon to continue their travels, and hinted as to how the dragon's egg had been stolen, leading Duncan to realize the involvement of the dwarfs who had performed at the wedding.[5]

In 259 AC, Duncan perished along with King Aegon V and Prince Duncan, among others, in the tragedy of Summerhall.[15][13] Little is known about the events of the tragedy, but it seems that the Lord Commander's valor saved some of the survivors from dying in the great fire that consumed Summerhall.[13]

Notes

↑The So Spake Martin: NOREASCON (BOSTON, MA; SEPTEMBER 2-6) (September 02, 2004) reports a paraphrased statement saying that Martin confirmed Duncan had not been knighted by Ser Arlan. Besides this SSM, other indications have been laid out by readers. Duncan considers finding another knight to squire immediately after burying Arlan, which is considered to be at odds with his supposed new-made knighthood. Duncan also becomes uncomfortable at several occasions when him acquiring his knighthood is brought up, and is extremely hesitant to knight another young squire, feeling both relieved and guilty when another steps in to knight the boy. Lastly, Duncan admits to himself that "He knew what it was like to want something so badly that you would tell a monstrous lie just to get near it." Readers have suspected that this refers to his lie about his knighthood.

↑The mule was almost certainly given by Aemon, as its name is Maester, and Aegon and Duncan have been mentioned to have visited with Aemon in Oldtown, whereas no mention is made of Aegon encountering his brother Daeron, while his brother Aerion is still in Lys. If Aemon gave Dunk the mule, it was in Oldtown, some time after they visited Vaith.